Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Musings: Kingdom Come

This morning’s pink sky made me think about last night, when I went walking with a friend, hoping to see Venus cozied up with the crescent moon, and looking up, sure enough, both were there, floating in a sea of pink that turned lavender and then purple and slowly faded into midnight blue.

Later, returning outside to check their progress, I found a canopy of bright stars, a warming, welcoming sight after a long stretch of nighttime clouds, and the Venus-moon partnership, golden now, preparing to descend into a foreboding murky mass above the mountains.

The friend who had come to visit is a customary chief in the Kingdom of Atooi, and he had an identification card that had been issued by the Kingdom. It looked like a driver’s license, with all the pertinent info about date of birth and physical characteristics, and a number, which was not the same as his Hawaii driver's license number, at the top.

On the back was a bar code and this statement: Do not detain this individual. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He said that as a chief, he’s entitled to diplomatic immunity.

Anyway, I found it very interesting that he and others have been using the cards when traveling and haven’t run into any opposition, or even questions, at the airports.

The Kingdom also has minted a 100-kalla coin that is an ounce of pure silver. On one side is an engraving of Dayne Aipoalani, the Kingdom’s alii nui, with the words “Aleka (which means God, my friend said, “but he no make like he better than anyone else) Aipoalani.” On the flip side is a seal with the words “sovereign authority.”

We got to talking about the word Atooi, which he said means the light of God, and variations of that word that have also been used to describe this place. Atuai means spirit of light, he said, while Atuoi means surpreme authority, or lord of the light. Kauai, he said, means light shining through the rainbow, which seemed to me an apt description.

The meanings of many Hawaiian words have been garbled in translation, he said, such as hanai, which doesn’t mean adopted but spirit siblings forever, and haka. “It’s not a war chant, but the truth,” he said. “Why do you think they’re screaming it?”

As for his and the Kingdom’s take on the state’s plans to do rockfall mitigation in Kalalau Valley, they don’t like it and will be actively opposing it.

The state has claimed that loose rocks around Ho‘ole‘a waterfall and above the sea cave at Kalalau Beach pose a hazard to campers and hikers, and the entire beach and a portion of the trail will be closed for two months while the work is done. According to a press release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources:

Mitigation work will involve manual rock scaling methods using ‘o‘o, crowbars, and compressed air bags to remove loose and unstable rock materials from rock shelves above these areas. No explosives nor heavy equipment will be utilized in the project area. Helicopter sling loads will be used to assist in the manual removal of fallen material to designated mauka areas.

More details, apparently based on the consultant’s presentation to the county planning commission, were reported by The Garden Island, which quoted the consultant, Tobias Koehler, environmental planner for AECom, saying they’ll be starting Sept. 7 to take advantage of the wide beach:

“The chances of impacting with the ocean are basically zero, and our plan is to be done and out of there before any kind of real winter swells start to take the beach away,” he said.

My recollection of living on the North Shore is that the first big swells start to happen right about that time and are certainly well under way in October and November.

Given the logistics and many uncertainties of the project — especially those connected with removing two blocks of rock on the cliff’s face that are estimated at 230 and 1,250 cubic yards each, which is a pretty wide spread — I think Kauai attorney Kurt Bosshard is correct in his assessment that the project won’t be done in two months.

When pressed to say the worst-case scenario, Koehler said if the project wasn’t finished they would have to abandon it temporarily, close that portion of Kalalau Beach, and be back after April 30, 2011 to finish the job.

Even the planning commission didn’t buy into the two-month bit, adding a condition to the permit that work must be done within two years. But what if it isn’t? What about all that loosened rock rubble, which will be exposed to the big surf and possibly torrential rains of winter in the meantime? And as Kurt notes, will it result in the indefinite closure of Kalalau Valley?

My friend offered his own assessment: "They have no idea what they're getting into."

27 comments:

Kekamaili`ula
said...

Atooi means "light of god"? Uh-wuh?Duh,no a`ole, not even close. What god? Not gods? This sovereignty group is a new age version that is embarrasingly trying to push its power and position to no where. Oneehow, ATOOI, Woahoo, Morotoi, Ranai, Tahoorowa,Mowee, and Owhyhee the names that were assigned to the main Hawaiian Islands on early maps of Hawai`i that were charted and re-named by Capt Cook as the "Sandwich Isles". Pronounce the names - it's not difficult to figure out which is what island.

"Atuai means spirit of light, he said, while Atuoi means surpreme authority, or lord of the light. Kauai, he said, means light shining through the rainbow, which seemed to me an apt description."

Your guy is grasping at straws. Attending Hawaiian studies/language classes and courses via KCC or any accredited university course is not enough to know and understand the culture and language. Dane Aipoalani and his guys take the lead from Maori activists. Join the "kingdom" and you too can become a customary chief. All of this is BS. Native Hawaiian ali`i and leaders - are qualified through genealogy and a lifetime of being groomed by masters. That is how it was then during our ancestors time. That is how is should be today. Too many wanna-bees. (Spelling pun intended).

These guys claim to be Hawaiian chiefs? Puh-leeze. They probably don't even know that Atooi came off of Cook's maps! Shame.

While I defer to others far more knowledgeable in these matters, I want to clarify that Dayne and my friend claim their titles based on geneaology.

My friend also acknowledged that the Atooi spelling came off old maps and that was what led to the discussion about the other spellings/pronunciations, with Atuai broken down as Atua (with the k of Akua, god, interchanged with t, as it was in the Kauai and Niihau dialects) and i translated as light.

It appears somewhat obvious, even based on two comments here and "comments heard around town" that the Kingdom of Atooi does not garner much respect.

Why is that? Do they deserve respect and how? Is it because they are so different or that some of the members are a bit off at times (don't judge the whole group by a few). How will this Kingdom make inroads, if it even possible?

I think they did borrow some of the Maori stances, which were obviously quite successful...

You never know, it might be a better alternative when the Chinese decide to collect on a bad debt.

I don't think I'd worry to much about sovereignty. We're probably up to about 12 kingdoms now, complete with alii nui and geneology.

The worst part about it is, the ones I've seen, all want sruff fo free. Like the time they tried to take over the road to Polihale and charge the tourists a toll fee. They didn't empty one rubbbish can. Take, Take, Take.

If Hawaiians want to make a mark on the world. They need to take their own advice and "Give Back"

If these people care about the land, did they during give public testimony? Did they show up at the planning department meeting?

Are these your same 'friends' that would prefer to close Ke'e beach cause they like use but no one else?

so what? the permit got issued with some requirements, like the army corp and the dept of health? did your friends submit comments for any of those public noticed items? or is this a foreign land with foriegn laws that they no understand? awe poor thing.

Aloha,it's alot easier to make fun of people anonymously. The Kingdom people may not be perfect, but they are at least trying to change the deck so heavily stacked against them. Going to the planning commission to express your thoughts is utterly a waste of time. How can you educate them when they are there only to do as they are told. This planning commission is the worst ever, they do not do their homework instead looking like bling mice waiting for one of the Ian's to tell them what they must think or what they must do regardless. No it's been along time since the attorneys represented Kauai, instead they represent the planning dept. It's sad enough to watch it on TV, but thinking anyone could make a difference if they attended the meeting is BS. A game changer is needed, you may not want or like sovereignty, but ultimately, that's the only winning card, go for it!!

"The Kingdom also has minted a 100-kalla coin that is an ounce of pure silver. On one side is an engraving of Dayne Aipoalani, the Kingdom’s alii nui, with the words “Aleka (which means God, my friend said,"

According to the Hawaiian dictionary by Mary Kawena Pukui - renown expert on Hawaiian language and all things Hawaiian, `Aleka means:

I too, question the knowledge base of this Atooi group and their foundation of their own heritage. They are loud and visible when they emerge and take a stand on things. But no substance. All they want to do is shut things down and take control.

"If Hawaiians want to make a mark on the world. They need to take their own advice and "Give Back"

June 15, 2010 6:16 PM

You see, this is the problem: it is you that needs to give back what was stolen from them. They have been giving for over 100 years and you have been taking.

RE: atooi; Aleka does not mean God.Their 'kingdom' is not minting coins, they probably sent a design over the internet where you can have custom coins made. Dayne's problem is that: Dayne's problem...he offers nothing as far as leadership or solution for his countryman (fellow Hawaiians) I refuse to say 'his people'. He has just been babbling and maybe intentionally detracting from true sovereignty efforts.Tsk tsk ego trips and self adoration must take a back seat in light of the seriousness of resolving the long standing issues.

About the ID's...they most assuredly were asked to present another ID (U.S.).

It was based on facts, history, historical documents, historical facts, eyewitness accounts, chants, geneologies, moolelos, birth and death records, telephone and email conversations and personal interviews and memory.

The above referenced video is also based on historical documents and facts as well.

If Dayne is going to be King, then I am happy to leave Hawai'i. I was working in an office where he and several of his friends entered wearing fake police badges. They were aggressive, rude, intimidating and frightening. I would not support that group or individual in anything.

Atoo is the Garden of Eden and Aleka is the modern day King Kamehameha the Great who is his ancestor. These people want peace and love spread to everyone.They are natives and do have certain rights. The land was stolen to begin with ya know.

In case none of you know, the right of the US to govern is granted by the consent of the governed. It is your right as a US citizen to protest and rectify your own government. With all that is going on there will come a time when American citizens across the nation will abandon the current governorship and begin governing themselves locally. So do not mock Atooi, they are ahead of the game, add to that their rightful claim to these lands makes them natural operatives of freedom and organic rights. It is not in vogue now to be pursuing self governance but in due time they will all look like geniuses. Despite the scorn of the woefully uninformed.